Oxnard

Ventura

Santa Barbara

Children’s Teeth

Why Do Child’s Teeth Fall Out So Early?

No matter how well you take care of your child’s baby teeth, they’ll eventually fall out. Baby teeth play a significant role in your child’s biting and chewing of food. They’re also important in learning how to speak clearly.

Baby teeth typically fall out during your child’s early elementary school years. However, every child is different. Your child could be the first person in his/her class to lose a tooth, or the last. If your child’s baby teeth fall out earlier or later than their peers,, it doesn’t mean that something’s wrong. However, if you’re concerned about it, you should make an appointment with Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children and Young Adults.

Why some kids’ teeth fall out early

If your child’s baby teeth fall out early, there’s nothing to worry about as long as there’s no indication of a problem. At our clinic, the first question we ask parents is if their kids had any trauma, like a fall. Trauma is the most common reason a tooth would fall out early.

Diseases Contributing to Early Loss of Teeth in Kids

Some conditions can cause to an early tooth loss in kids. Among them include diseases of the blood, metabolic disorders, immunological problems and the presence of abnormal cellular enzymes.

If your child’s natural defense system is impaired, he or she will have trouble fighting off infections in the mouth that may result in gum disease and tooth loss.

What to do if teeth fall out early?

If your child loses his tooth prematurely, you should consult with a dentist or orthodontist to know whether or not a space maintainer is needed.

On the other hand, if the baby teeth haven’t begun to fall out after the age of seven, it’s a good idea to have a dental x-ray to have them checked. There are many reasons your child’s permanent teeth aren’t coming in yet.

What to expect when children’s teeth fall out?

Primary teeth loosen when permanent teeth move up in the jaw. As a result, baby teeth will fall out. Baby teeth act like a guiding light for the permanent teeth to emerge. These permanent teeth will eat away the root of the primary teeth. When the two front teeth on the bottom fall out, the two front teeth on top will follow. The cuspids and primary molars don’t fall out until ages 10 to 12.

It’s always a good idea to talk to your child’s dentist about their baby teeth. As mentioned earlier, every kid is different. To know more about when your children’s teeth fall out and what to do when permanent teeth come in, you should visit your dentist’s office.

Can Children’s teeth fall out anytime?

Children’s teeth fall out anytime when they’re five to seven years old. However, if your four-year-old child has wiggly teeth, it’s still regarded as normal.

The first question that dentist would ask parents if their children lose their tooth early is that if they had any trauma, like a fall. It’s the most common reason that a tooth would fall out sooner than normal.

However, if there are no signs of trauma or decay, then parents don’t have a reason to be worried.

On the other hand, kids with special needs may follow different patterns.

Children with Down syndrome will usually lose their teeth later.

It’s also interesting to note that girls lose their baby teeth earlier than boys do. Dentists don’t have the exact reason why but they do believe that girls develop faster than boys, so they lose their teeth earlier.

When children lose their teeth, it means that they’re grown up. For that reason, parents tend to be bittersweet about this news.

If you’re still wondering when your baby’s teeth will fall out, you should know that most kids lose their temporary teeth during elementary years.

But as mentioned earlier, each case is different. For example, in his/her class, he/she might be the first person to lose a tooth.

Children’s teeth are meant to fall out. However, if you’re still worried about your child’s condition, talk to his/her dentist.

In some cases, permanent may be missing, or they won’t come out soon. As a result, baby teeth will stick around longer because there are no adult teeth to loosen them.

If dental issues run in your family, make sure that your child’s dentist is aware of the problem. In this way, he/she can watch for it.

Whether your children’s teeth fell out early or not, it’s ideal to teach your kids the proper way to manage their dental health. Teach your children how to brush and floss properly. Kids can brush their teeth with toothpaste when they’re two years old.

Don’t allow your less-than-two-year-old kid to clean using toothpaste as he/she may swallow the toothpaste, instead of spitting it out.

Use fluoride toothpaste when your child is old enough. When your kid’s teeth touch each other, teach your child how to floss. You may use the regular floss or opt for a floss made for children. It’s the one with a plastic holder.

When should your child need to see a dentist?

Your baby should see a dentist when he/she is one year old.

Do Children’s Teeth Fall Out So Early?

Children’s teeth had to fall out so that permanent teeth can start to grow. Some kids lose their first tooth earlier than age 5. Or they lose it as late as 7. The younger your child was when his/her teeth came in, the earlier they would fall out.

When your kids’ teeth fall out before 4, it could be the result of an accident or a dental disease. To know the underlying reason, you should consult it with your child’s dentist. A custom-fit plastic placeholder is usually recommended to prevent spacing problems in the future. That is if the temporary tooth fell out too soon.

Causes of baby tooth falling out too soon

It’s a must that you consult a dentist if your child starts to lose teeth before 4. As mentioned earlier, there are several causes of why your kid’s teeth fell out early. One of them is an accident. Another is severe tooth decay.

If there’s no decay or trauma, then there’s nothing to be concerned of.

Some would assume that there’s a genetic component that affects this condition. For example, if the kids’ parents lost their teeth so early, they’re likely to follow suit. However, there’s no good evidence that could support it.

On the other hand, if your kids didn’t lose their tooth by age seven, their dentist may recommend an x-ray to find out what’s causing the baby teeth to remain.

Space Maintainer

If your kids’ teeth fell out early, they may need a space maintainer. It’s an appliance made of either a metal or an acrylic material. Your kid may choose to have a removable maintainer or an appliance that’s cemented in his/her mouth.

No matter what type of space maintainer he/she chooses, the main goal of this appliance is to keep the space open. It’ll allow permanent tooth to erupt.

Children’s teeth are necessary for the development of permanent teeth, muscles, and jaw bones. They guide permanent teeth into the right position once they’ve lost the baby teeth.

If space isn’t maintained well, then some baby teeth move to open space and may require orthodontic treatment.

Then again, not all kids who lost their baby teeth early may need a space maintainer. That said, it’s highly recommended that you consult with your child’s dentist to determine whether or not he/she needs this type of appliance.

It takes a few days for your child to get accustomed to wearing a space maintainer. Your child’s dentist will teach him/her the proper way to clean it and take care of it to make sure that his/her gum tissue is healthy. Proper maintenance will avoid plaque buildup in that area.

It’s important that your child should avoid eating chewy or sugary foods as they can loosen the maintainer. They could also get caught on the appliance. The appliance should not be pressed or pushed with your fingers or tongue as it could easily loosen or bend.

To monitor the progress, your kid should see his/her dentist on a regular basis.

Wiggle

When your child’s tooth is loosened, it can easily be rotated because its root has been completely disintegrated. However, you should instruct your child not to yank it before it’s ready to fall out. Doing so will only cause the broken tooth to be more vulnerable to any type of infection.

Sometimes, when a loose tooth won’t come out, your dentist may pull it out. Most of the time, however, it’s not necessary.

In terms of pain, losing baby teeth is not as painful as teething. Then again, if your child complains of feeling a pain in the back of his/her mouth, it’s probably caused by 6-year molars about to come in. To ease the pain, a topical painkiller may be taken.

Bigger teeth

After children’s teeth fell out, the new teeth will come in. They usually appear bigger. Compared with the baby teeth, the adult teeth are less white. Their ridges are more pronounced because they haven’t been used for biting and chewing yet.

Shark’s teeth

In some cases, new teeth will come in before the baby teeth are gone. This creates two rows of pearly whites. It’s a temporary stage known as shark’s teeth.

What if the baby tooth has gone a year ago and the permanent tooth has not shown up yet?

A yearlong gap is perfectly normal. It’s known as delayed eruption. This usually happens when the baby tooth has been knocked out or is damaged through a trauma. And if it comes out early, delayed eruption is expected. Sometimes, the adult tooth will show up only after a year.

On very rare occasions, a permanent tooth may have a difficult eruption. This is usually the case when the gums harden and the adult tooth is felt below the surface. If this happens to your kid, his/her dentist will make a small incision to help the new tooth to come along.

Then again, such case happens very rarely. And when it does, it occurs to older kids of 7 or older.

What if my kid swallowed his/her baby tooth?

He/she may disappoint the tooth fairy, but it won’t cause any harm to his/her health.

If you’re still worried about your child’s losing his/her baby tooth so early, you should get the opinion of his/her dentist. A thorough examination may be performed to know the real cause of the issue. Most of the time, it’s nothing to be concerned of.

To know the real reason of your children’s teeth falling out so early, make a consultation today with one of our dentists at Sunny Smiles Dentistry for Children and Young Adults.